Fornchall,” Jacob said.
Mom rubbed her face. “If that’s all of it.”
“They’re probably going to be doing something they don’t want anyone to know about.” Dad straightened in his chair, then rested his eyes on Jacob. “I don’t like this new development. It makes me feel vulnerable.”
“Yeah, no kidding,” Jacob said. “Now what?”
Dad slowly shook his head. “I don’t know.” He paused for a moment. “I need to think about it for a while.”
Jacob stretched, avoiding looking at Mr. Coolidge. They’d just finished their last study session, and the man had been acting weird the entire time. While Jacob had been going over assignments and making sure he’d understood the instructions, he’d caught Mr. Coolidge staring at him several times, a concerned expression on his face.
Finally, Jacob couldn’t stand it any longer.
“Mr. Coolidge?”
“Yes?” He didn’t look at Jacob, but kept his eyes on the desk in front of him. The colors swirling in the air around him, however, showed he was paying close attention.
“Are you okay?”
Mr. Coolidge raised his dark, bushy eyebrows. “Of course. Why?”
“You’re acting weird today.”
The teacher shrugged. But he leaned back in the chair, steepling his fingers, studying Jacob. “I want to ask you a question.” The swirling colors changed to nervousness.
Jacob felt his stomach drop an inch—he thought he knew what was coming. “Go ahead.”
Mr. Coolidge rubbed his face and avoided looking at Jacob again. Several moments of silence passed. Jacob waited. He didn’t like the quiet in the study—it was uncomfortable.
Finally, Mr. Coolidge leaned forward, staring at Jacob. “Who are you?”
“Who—who am I?”
Mr. Coolidge gazed at Jacob with an eyebrow raised.
“I’m Jacob Clark.”
The older man shook his head in quick, jerky motions. “No, no. What I mean is, what are you?”
Jacob’s mouth popped open. What was he? A human teenager. Duh.
Then it occurred to him that he couldn’t say that—he wasn’t even fully human. He’d known Mr. Coolidge would figure things out—the guy was way too intelligent. Why hadn’t Jacob prepared himself for this? “I don’t . . . I—”
“Look, Jacob. I’ve seen you do some really weird things. And everyone back in that village treats you like you’re someone special.”
Jacob looked at his hands, twisting them in his lap. Mr. Coolidge had only worked in Taga Village a couple of times, and each time, Dad and Kenji had been careful to make sure the Wurbies were out of sight and the Makalos stayed away—they hadn’t wanted Mr. Coolidge to discover things too quickly.
“I don’t know what—”
“Don’t give me that. Yesterday, a lady bowed to you. I saw. You can’t hide that from me.”
Jacob took a deep breath. He might as well just tell Mr. Coolidge the truth. “I’m a prince—Danilo Leontii is my real name.”
“But a prince of what kingdom? I know there isn’t anything on . . . on Earth . . . where you could be . . .” He swallowed, obviously struggling.
“I’m prince of a kingdom called Gevkan on a planet called Eklaron.”
Mr. Coolidge stared at him for several seconds. Jacob couldn’t even tell from the man’s emotion colors if he believed him. “And what about your . . . your powers ?” He said the word as if it put a bad taste in his mouth. He obviously wasn’t used to thinking in comic-book terms.
“My powers?” Which ones? Jacob didn’t ask. There wasn’t any sense saying more than was needed.
“Yes. I’ve known for a very long time that you could change the shape of things—did you actually think I didn’t notice in math? You nearly destroyed those desks several times.”
He got up to pace behind the chair. “Besides, I read almost all of that journal of yours. While I find it incredibly difficult to believe it wasn’t just fantasy, I’ve actually seen these Ma—Makalos and how they operate. They do strange things when
Mom rubbed her face. “If that’s all of it.”
“They’re probably going to be doing something they don’t want anyone to know about.” Dad straightened in his chair, then rested his eyes on Jacob. “I don’t like this new development. It makes me feel vulnerable.”
“Yeah, no kidding,” Jacob said. “Now what?”
Dad slowly shook his head. “I don’t know.” He paused for a moment. “I need to think about it for a while.”
Jacob stretched, avoiding looking at Mr. Coolidge. They’d just finished their last study session, and the man had been acting weird the entire time. While Jacob had been going over assignments and making sure he’d understood the instructions, he’d caught Mr. Coolidge staring at him several times, a concerned expression on his face.
Finally, Jacob couldn’t stand it any longer.
“Mr. Coolidge?”
“Yes?” He didn’t look at Jacob, but kept his eyes on the desk in front of him. The colors swirling in the air around him, however, showed he was paying close attention.
“Are you okay?”
Mr. Coolidge raised his dark, bushy eyebrows. “Of course. Why?”
“You’re acting weird today.”
The teacher shrugged. But he leaned back in the chair, steepling his fingers, studying Jacob. “I want to ask you a question.” The swirling colors changed to nervousness.
Jacob felt his stomach drop an inch—he thought he knew what was coming. “Go ahead.”
Mr. Coolidge rubbed his face and avoided looking at Jacob again. Several moments of silence passed. Jacob waited. He didn’t like the quiet in the study—it was uncomfortable.
Finally, Mr. Coolidge leaned forward, staring at Jacob. “Who are you?”
“Who—who am I?”
Mr. Coolidge gazed at Jacob with an eyebrow raised.
“I’m Jacob Clark.”
The older man shook his head in quick, jerky motions. “No, no. What I mean is, what are you?”
Jacob’s mouth popped open. What was he? A human teenager. Duh.
Then it occurred to him that he couldn’t say that—he wasn’t even fully human. He’d known Mr. Coolidge would figure things out—the guy was way too intelligent. Why hadn’t Jacob prepared himself for this? “I don’t . . . I—”
“Look, Jacob. I’ve seen you do some really weird things. And everyone back in that village treats you like you’re someone special.”
Jacob looked at his hands, twisting them in his lap. Mr. Coolidge had only worked in Taga Village a couple of times, and each time, Dad and Kenji had been careful to make sure the Wurbies were out of sight and the Makalos stayed away—they hadn’t wanted Mr. Coolidge to discover things too quickly.
“I don’t know what—”
“Don’t give me that. Yesterday, a lady bowed to you. I saw. You can’t hide that from me.”
Jacob took a deep breath. He might as well just tell Mr. Coolidge the truth. “I’m a prince—Danilo Leontii is my real name.”
“But a prince of what kingdom? I know there isn’t anything on . . . on Earth . . . where you could be . . .” He swallowed, obviously struggling.
“I’m prince of a kingdom called Gevkan on a planet called Eklaron.”
Mr. Coolidge stared at him for several seconds. Jacob couldn’t even tell from the man’s emotion colors if he believed him. “And what about your . . . your powers ?” He said the word as if it put a bad taste in his mouth. He obviously wasn’t used to thinking in comic-book terms.
“My powers?” Which ones? Jacob didn’t ask. There wasn’t any sense saying more than was needed.
“Yes. I’ve known for a very long time that you could change the shape of things—did you actually think I didn’t notice in math? You nearly destroyed those desks several times.”
He got up to pace behind the chair. “Besides, I read almost all of that journal of yours. While I find it incredibly difficult to believe it wasn’t just fantasy, I’ve actually seen these Ma—Makalos and how they operate. They do strange things when
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